It used to be the case that performance storage meant buying a reliable 7200rpm, or even a 10000rpm hard drive. But with the price of SSDs falling, and the clear performance gains they offer, that’s no longer true. Inevitably this is going to have an impact on the production of hard drives, and Seagate looks to be the first company reacting to a declining market.

Before the end of 2013, Seagate will cease production of 7200rpm 2.5-inch hard drives. Such drives are typically used in high-end and performance laptops, but increasingly vendors are choosing to use an SSD or hybrid drive in their place due to the performance and power saving gains.

Seagate will continue production of the slower 5400rpm 2.5-inch hard drives, but the company currently doesn’t have a consumer SSD line. Instead, Seagate is going to rely on its Momentus XT range of solid state hybrid drives (SSHD), of which there are currently only two models — a 500GB and 750GB option. It seems likely that range will expand for next year, and surely an SSD line will be introduced if Seagate intends to remain competitive?

SSDs still come with a price premium. For example, you’ll typically pay around $170 for a 240GB SSD and upwards of $300 for a 500GB model, whereas a Seagate Momentus 750GB 7200rpm drive is only $80. You can even pick up a 5400rpm 1TB mobile hard drive for around the same price. SSD prices will continue to fall, though, and the benefits to the user are clear.

It’s unlikely Seagate’s 7200rpm mobile drives will disappear anytime soon. Production continues for now, and the pricing is such that they are still a tempting proposition for some manufacturers and consumers building nettops or upgrading their laptop hard drives on a budget.